Wet pick-up suction nozzle with filter means

ABSTRACT

An ambulatory wet pickup suction nozzle has a one-piece elastomeric squeegee member including a pair of parallel lips connected by an apertured web. A rigid retainer bracket positioned between the squeegee lips is removably mounted in the inlet of the nozzle. The squeegee web is trapped between the retainer bracket and fixed mounting means within the mouth inlet. The retainer bracket is generally channel-shaped in cross section, having a planar central web with a plurality of spaced small perforations along its length so as to allow air therethrough to function as a secondary filter. A removable filter bar, functioning as a primary filter, is designed to be removably mounted on the face of the retainer bracket. The filter bar is generally V-shaped in cross section, the base of the Vmasking the central web of the retainer bracket. The converging surfaces of the filter bar, forming the V, have castellated outer edges which act in conjunction with the retainer bracket, against which they abut, as perforations forming an easily cleanable primary filter.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Darwin S. Crouser North Canton, Ohio [21] Appl. No. 819,698 [22] Filed Apr. 28, 1969 [45] Patented Mar. 23, 1971 [73] Assignee The Hoover Company North Canton, Ohio [54] WET PICK-UP SUCTION NOZZLE WITH FILTER MEANS I0 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 15/401, 15/422 [51] Int. Cl. A47l 9/06 [50] Field ofSearch 15/401, 402, 353, 321, 322, 422

[56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 304,937 4/ 1955 Switzerland 15/402 1,023,394 3/ I966 .Great Britain 15/401 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Attorneys-Alfred G. Gross and Alan G. Paul ABSTRACT: An ambulatory wet pickup suction nozzle has a one-piece elastomeric squeegee member including a pair of parallel lips connected by an apertured web. A rigid retainer bracket positioned between the squeegee lips is removably mounted in the inlet of the nonle. The squeegee web is trapped between the retainer bracket and fixed mounting means within the mouth inlet. The retainer bracket is generally channel-shaped in cross section, having a planar central web with a plurality of spaced small perforations along its length so as to allow air therethrough to function as a secondary filter. A removable filter bar, functioning as a primary filter, is designed to be removably mounted on the face of the retainer bracket. The filter bar is generally V-shaped in cross section, the base of the V-masking the central web of the retainer bracket. The converging surfaces of the filter bar, forming the V, have castellated outer edges which act in conjunction with the retainer bracket, against which they abut, as perforations forming an easily cleanable primary filter.

BACK wltOUhl D GP THE lNVENTlON 1. Field of the invention This invention relates to ambulatory appliances which are designed to remove liquid from a surface by means of suction.

Description of the Prior Art Friar wet pickup suction nozzles have not usually been designed with the efficient filtering of entrained solids in mind. When used in conjunction with clean air machines (where the fluid picked up by the nozzle does not go through the suction fan) the losses of efilciency caused by wet lint or other fibrous material clogging the internal passages and the airlic uid separator, which may be inaccessible, are merely accepted. in dirty air machines (where the fluids picked up through the suction fan) the lint and other entrained fibrous material tends to collect, in addition, in the fan chamber. The wet lint or other fibrous material can compact until it is a solid mass, which can stop the fan blades, or it can work its way into the area of the fan bearings and hinder the performance of the fan. in such a machine a lint filter is a necessity. llowever, it is commonto have the filter mounted internally where it can be reached for cleaning or replacement only by opening up the machine.

The invention described in the George IF. Carabet et a]. application, Ser. No. 706,749, filed Feb. 20, 1968, was successful in overcoming the above discussed problem of prior art machines. The lint was filtered out, in part, by a perforate retainer bracket, the member which secured the squeegee to the nozzle, and which also functions as a primary filter.

A secondary, easily removable, filter element, slidably mounted further out between the squeegee lips, in opposing grooves in the arms of the channel-shaped retainer bracket, was successful in removing most of the fibrous material before the fibrous material could reach the secondary filter. However, the limited filtering area of the primary filter caused that removable filter element to clog rather quickly and, furthermore, the fibers clogging and entangling in the perforations in the filter element were rather difficult to remove, particularly when dried. The filter element, slidably mounted in the opposing arms of the retainer bracket, was often jammed in the retainer bracket by lint, which found its way into the mounting grooves, prevented the filter element from sliding in the grooves. Excessive pressure, brought to bear to dislodge the primary filter, could tear or crumple the rather flimsy element.

The present invention is directed to a snap-in type of primary filter bar for use in combination with the Carabet et al. squeegee nozzle. This falter bar, which serves to remove most of the lint, is designed as to have much greater surface area than the above described filter element so as not to clog as quickly and furthermore, the use of castellated abutting edges for filter ports, rather than perforations, allows the lint to be removed much easier.

SUMMARY THE lNVENTlON This invention is directed to a wet pickup suction nozzle comprising a nozzle body with a horizontally elongated inlet opening. An elastomeric squeegee member, located in the inlet opening, has an apertured web portion and a pair of squeegee lips formed integrally therewith and projecting substantially perpendicularly from opposite sides of the web portion. An elongated planar reminer bracket, made of a rigid material, has central perforated web and opposed side elements. retainer bracket is located between the squeegee the web portion of the squeegee member with the perforations, or falter ports, of the central web of the retainer bracket, forming a primary filter for the nozzle inlet. The retainer bracket is mounted in the inlet of the nozzde body so as to trap the web portion of the elastomeric squeegee member between an inner planar face of the central web of the retainer bracket and an abutment means within the nozzle inlet. An elongated ll-shaped filter bar is removably connected across the face of the retainer bracket with the open month of the V abutting the lower planar face of the central web of the retainer bracket. A plurality of secondary filter ports are formed in part in the removable filter bar, whereby material which would clog a wet pickup suction nozzle is substantially retained by the secondary ports when the filter bar is releasably connected in place in the suction cleaner nozzle. The filter ports are formed by openings in the edges of the filter bar abutting the surface of the central web of the retainer bracket.

BRlEF DESCRlPTlON OF DRAWlNGS HG. l is a view of a conventional ambulatory wet pickup suction device having the suction nozzle of this invention connected thereto;

FlG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle of the present invention;

FlG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the nozzle of the present invention taken on line 3-3 of HG. ll;

FlG. d is a perspective end view of a prior art secondary filter element and retainer bracket which was used in conjunction with the same suction nozzle and squeegee member as is the retainer bracket and filter bar of the present invention;

MG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating a modified mounting means for the filter bar;

FlG. s is a fragmentary elevational view of a modified filter bar mounted in a retainer bracket; and

FIG. "7 is a sectional elevational view of the modified filter bar taken on line 7-7 of HG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FlG. ll illustrates a conventional ambulatory wet pickup suction device, generally designated ill, and has a suction nozzle, generally designated 12, comprising the present invention connected to it by a flexible hose lid. The nozzle l2, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 is provided with a main casting, the nozzle body l3, having a horizontally elongated inlet opening defined in part by spaced-apart front and rear walls llti. Bridging the interior of the inlet of the nozzle body l3, above the bottom edges of the front and rear walls to are three spaced abutment means ltl (only one shown) each having a tapped mounting hole 2d extending therethrough.

A squeegee member, generally designated 22, of rubber or any other elastomeric material, is located in the nozzle inlet and is designed to be mounted on the abutment means lb. The squeegee member 22 is molded as a unit, including from and rear lips 2d and an interconnecting webilll. Web 2.3 has a plurality of apertures therein, as at Ell), through which air and liquid may easily pass. Smaller holes 32 in web 2d line up with the tapped holes 2b in the abutments lit in the inlet of the nozzle body 13, for mounting the squeegee member 22, as will later be disclosed. The specific features of the squeegee member, which enhance its functioning in this combination, do not form a part of the present invention and are fully described in the George F. Carabet et al. application Ser. No. 706,949, filed Feb. 20, 1968, noted previously.

A rigid retainer bracket, generally designated 3d, preferably consisting of a steel channel member, has a central web 36 and planar or opposing walled sides 3%. The central web as of the retainer bracket 34 has a plurality of closely spaced primary filter ports, or perforations, along its length, several being indicated by numeral designation ill. The perforations dill are spaced between three mounting holes d2 in which line up with the holes 32 in the web of the squeegee member 3'12 and holes 263 in the abutment means lib in the inlet of the nozzle body 13. A pair of generally diamond-shaped cutouts 3d are also formed in the central web Elliot the retainer bracket 1%. The purpose of the cutouts will be explained later.

Screws us hold the described elements of the suction nozzle 12; together, the screws extending through the holes in the central web of the retainer bracket 34 and the holes 323 in the interconnecting web of the squeegee member 22. and being threaded into the holes 2b in the abutment means lfi of the nozzle body 13 to releasably retain the nozzle 12 in assembled condition. The web 28 of the squeegee member 22 is held trapped between the web 34 of the retainer bracket and the abutment means 18 in the nozzle inlet, while the inner portions of the lips 24 of the squeegee member 22 are held securely between the sides 38 of the retainer bracket 34 and the front and rear walls 16 of the nozzle inlet.

A novel filter bar of the present invention, generally designated 48, comprises diverging surfaces 50 which define an elongated V shaped element. The surfaces 50 are generally solid and have spaced slots or castellations 52 along their outer edges. A wire spring clip, fixedly mounted within the apex of the V, has a pair of outwardly extending spring fingers 54 adapted to be releasably retained in the cutouts 44 in the central web 36 of the retainer bracket 34 so that when the spring clip fingers 54 of the filter bar 48 are snapped into place in the cutouts 44, the perforate central web 36 of the retainer bracket 34 is fully masked. Another function of the wire spring clip is to aid in aligning the filter bar 48 in the retainer bracket 34 as filter bar 48 is replaced. As the filter bar 48 is manually inserted in the retainer bracket 34, the diverging surfaces 50 shield the coacting portions from view. However, the spring fingers 54- are centered by their coaction with the diamond-shaped cutouts 44 preventing the hooking of any portion of the filter bar surfaces on the sides of the retainer bracket 34. With the filter bar 48 fully snapped into place in the retainer bracket 34, the open ends of castellations or slots 52 are closed in conjunction with the adjacent face of the central web 36 of the retainer bracket 34. Any lint entrained in the fluid passing through the nozzle inlet must first pass through the castellations or slots 52 in the filter bar 48, prior to coming into contact with the perforations 40 in the central web of the retainer bracket 34.

While the filter bar 48 has been described as generally V- shaped in cross section, this description is only approximate. in actuality it may be seen, by carefully scrutinizing FlGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, that the apex portion of the filter bar 43 is U-shaped in cross section with planar diverging surfaces extending from the outer ends of the legs of the U.

The snap-in type of mounting used for the filter bar 48 of the present invention precludes any possibility of trapped fibrous material causing the filter bar to stick in place as is possible with respect to the slidable filter strip, described and illustrated in the George F. Carabet et al. application previously discussed, and illustrated herein as element 56 in FIG. 4. When looking at HS. 4, it is seen that the fibrous material can easily find its way behind the edges of the filter strip 56 located in the grooves 57 formed in the sides 38 of the modified retainer bracket 34, preventing the sliding of filter strip 56 out of the retainer bracket 34' for cleaning. The susceptibility of the filter strip 56 to clogging or sticking in the sideway in the mounting bracket 34 has, numerous times, caused the crumpling, tearing or buckling of the filter strip 56 during removal and/or replacement. The spring-finger type of releasable connection used with filter bar 48 of the present invention obviates this problem.

Furthermore, the fibrous material tends to adhere to the filter bar 43 and very little remains on the retainer bracket 34. The little remaining on the retainer bracket can usually be ignored. After the snapping out of the filter bar 48 of the present invention, the entrapped fibrous material may be much more easily removed from the slots or castellations 52 of the filter bar 48 than from perforations 59 of the filter strip 56. Simply running the filter bar 48 under a water faucet is usually enough to flush away all of the fibrous material, or alternatively, the filter bar can easily be cleaned manually.

Still further, the use of the V-shaped filter bar 48 provides double the surface area available with the slidable filter strip 56 of FIG. 4. This means that the number of filter ports (slots or castellations 52) may be greatly increased over the number of perforations 59 that can be formed in the slidable filter strip 56. The greater number of filter ports in the filter bar 48 does not have to be removed for cleaning as often as the previously used filter strip S6.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modification of the releasable means for holding a filter bar 48 on a retainer bracket 34". A spring clip 58 is mounted under the head of each of the end mounting screws 46 with an arcuate end portion of the clip 58 facing inwardly and coacting with formed detent portion 6i in the outer adjacent end of the filter bar 48" to bias the filter bar tightly against the mounting bracket. With the use of the spring clips 58, and the resultant omission of the retaining clip shown in FIG. 2, the corresponding cutouts 44, formed in the web of the retaining bracket 34, can also be omitted and the perforations 40 can be extended along the entire length of the web of the retaining bracket with the exception of spaces for the holes 42 for the mounting screws.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second modification of the filter bar, designated as 48'. The construction permits the filter bar to be economically stamped'in a single operation from a sheet of metal or plastic, or to be molded out of an inexpensive plastic such as polypropylene. In this combination, instead of having castellations or slots, the abutting edge of the filter bar 48' has spaced slits 60 extending perpendicularly to the abutting surfaces defining short tabs 62 therebetween. The adjacent tabs 62 are either fonned originally, or later bent, in opposing directions so that the slip slits 60 are opened to form the secondary filter ports permitting the passage of air and liquid therethrough, while trapping the entrained lint.

Looking to FIG. 7, it can be seen that the filter bar 48' also is generally V-shaped in an end view and more or less masks the central web of a specially designated retainer bracket 34". At the ends of the filter bar 48" a pair of vertically depending tabs 64 extend beyond the surface of the retainer bracket 34, coacting with complementary apertures 66 in the face of the retainer bracket 34. The vertically depending tabs 64 each has a rounded detent portion 68 extending out beyond the respective end of the filter bar 48' at the terminus of the tab 64. The rounded detent portion 68 is designated to underlie the complementary apertures 66 in the retainer bracket 34" when the filter bar 48" is in place. The flexibility of the material from which the filter bar 48" is fabricated permits the body of the filter bar 48 to bow slightly with the application of force in a direction normal to the surface of the central web of the retainer bracket 34 to cause the tabs 64 to move closer together, and to enter the apertures 66. As the rounded detent portions 68 slip past the edges of the apertures 66, they snap in under the outer edges thereof holding the filter bar 48" firmly in place in abutting relationship with the central web of the retainer bracket 34". While the rounded detent portions 68 on the end tabs 64 and the complementary apertures 66 in the retaining bracket 34" are illustrated for releasably mounting the filter bar 48" on the retaining bracket 34", any spring clip or other easily releasable means, that will not soon be jammed by the lint, may be substituted.

iclaim:

1. A wet pickup suction nozzle comprising:

a. a nozzle body;

'0. a horizontally elongated inlet in said nozzle body;

c. an elongated squeegee member having a pair of squeegee lips and an interconnecting web portion formed integrally therewith, said lips projecting substantially perpendicularly from opposite sides of said web portion;

d. an elongated planar retainer bracket located in abutting relationship with said web portion of said squeegee between said pair of squeegee lips, primary filter ports formed in said retainer bracket, said primary filter ports operatively connecting the interior of said nozzle body with the open end of said inlet through said central web portion;

e. means for releasably mounting said retainer bracket on said nozzle body so as to trap said web portion between fixed abutment means within said inlet and a planar face of said retainer bracket;

f. a generally V-shaped elongated filter bar member;

3. means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar member across the face of said retainer bracket with the open mouth of the V abutting a planar face of said retainer bracket and with the apex of the V being located away from the abutting planar 'face of said retainer bracket, whereby said primary filter ports are masked; and

h. a plurality of secondary filter ports formed, where at least in part, in said filter bar member whereby material which would clog a wet pickup suction nozzle, when said nozzle is in operation, is substantially retained by said secondary ports when said filter bar is releasably mounted in place on said inlet of said nozzle body.

2. A wet pickup suction nozzle as recited in claim 1 wherein said secondary ports are formed by the abutment of diverging surfaces of said filter bar with said retainer bracket, said per tions of said secondary filter ports formed in said filter bar being castellations formed in the outer edges of said surfaces of said filter bar. I

3. A wet pickup suction nozzle as recited in claim l wherein said means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar across said planar face of said retainer bracket aids in the aligning of the body of said filter bar with respect to said retainer bracket prior to said body of said filter bar coming into abutting contact with said planar face of said retainer bracket.

4. A wet pickup suction nozzle as recited in claim 3 wherein said means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar across said planar face of said retainer bracket includes; a plurality of elongated cutouts in said planar face of said retainer bracket; and a plurality of complementary parallel spring fingers, each of which is designed to substantially span one of said elongated cutouts. H

5. An elongated filter bar for nozzle comprising:

a. an elongated V-shaped filter bar;

b. means for releasably mounting said filter bar across a nozzle inlet of said wet pickup suction nozzle with the open face of the V masking the nozzle inlet; and

use in a wet pickup suction c. a plurality of filter ports extending at spaced intervals into the interior of said elongated '-shaped filter bar.

6. The elongated filter bar oiclaim 5 wherein said filter ports are formed by castellations extending along the edges of said filter bar defining the mouth of said V.

7. An elongated filter bar as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar across the planar face of the retainer bracket includes a plurality of parallel spring fingers, each of which is designed to substantially span a complementary elongated cutout in a planar face of a retainer bracket.

b. An elongated filter bar as recited'in claim 5 wherein said means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar across the planar face of a retainer bracket aids in the aligning of the body of said elongated filter bar with respect to the retainer bracket prior to said body of said filter bar coming into abutting contact with a planar face of the retainer bracket.

9. An elongated filter bar for use in a wet pickup suction nozzle comprising:

a. an elongated planar member;

b. a plurality of adjacent tabs formed in one elongated edge of said planar member;

c. a plurality of said adjacent tabs being bent out of the plane of said planar member'in opposite directions so as to form in appearance a substantially V-shaped filter bar when said filter bar is looked at edgewise; and

d. means for releasably mounting said filter bar across the inlet of a wet pickup suction nozzle with the open mouth of the V masking said nozzle inlet, so that spaces between alternate tabs act as filter ports.

10. The elongated filter bar of claim wherein said means for releasably mounting said filter bar across an inlet of a wet pickup nozzle comprises at least one of said tabs which lie substantially in the plane of said filter bar and which functions as a detent means.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 571 ,841 Dated March 23 1971 Inventor(s) Darwln GI' It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 68, "falter" should read filter Column 2 line 65 cancel "in". Column 4, line 15 "48 shou1 read 48' line 23, cancel "slip"; lines 28 and 37, "designated", each occurrence, should read designed Column 5 line 6 cancel "where".

Signed and sealed this 7th day of September 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attestlng Offlcer Acting Commissioner of Pate 

1. A wet pickup suction nozzle comprising: a. a nozzle body; b. a horizontally elongated inlet in said nozzle body; c. an elongated squeegee member having a pair of squeegee lips and an interconnecting web portion formed integrally therewith, said lips projecting substantially perpendicularly from opposite sides of said web portion; d. an elongated planar retainer bracket located in abutting relationship with said web portion of said squeegee between said pair of squeegee lips, primary filter ports formed in said retainer bracket, said primary filter ports operatively connecting the interior of said nozzle body with the open end of said inlet through said central web portion; e. means for releasably mounting said retainer bracket on said nozzle body so as to trap said web portion between fixed abutment means within said inlet and a planar face of said retainer bracket; f. a generally V-shaped elongated filter bar member; g. means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar member across the face of said retainer bracket with the open mouth of the V abutting a planar face of said retainer bracket and with the apex of the V being located away from the abutting planar face of said retainer bracket, whereby said primary filter ports are masked; and h. a plurality of secondary filter ports formed, where at least in part, in said filter bar member whereby material which would clog a wet pickup suction nozzle, when said nozzle is in operation, is substantially retained by said secondary ports when said filter bar is releasably mounted in place on said inlet of said nozzle body.
 2. A wet pickup suction nozzle as recited in claim 1 wherein said secondary ports are formed by the abutment of diverging surfaces of said filter bar with said retainer bracket, said portions of said secondary filter ports formed in said filter bar being castellations formed in the outer edges of said surfaces of said filter bar.
 3. A wet pickup suction nozzle as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar across said planar face of said retainer bracket aids in the aligning of the body of said filter bar with respect to said retainer bracket prior to said body of said filter bar coming into abutting contact with said planar face of said retainer bracket.
 4. A wet pickup suction nozzle as recited in claim 3 wherein said means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar across said planar face of said retainer bracket includes; a plurality oF elongated cutouts in said planar face of said retainer bracket; and a plurality of complementary parallel spring fingers, each of which is designed to substantially span one of said elongated cutouts.
 5. An elongated filter bar for use in a wet pickup suction nozzle comprising: a. an elongated V-shaped filter bar; b. means for releasably mounting said filter bar across a nozzle inlet of said wet pickup suction nozzle with the open face of the V masking the nozzle inlet; and c. a plurality of filter ports extending at spaced intervals into the interior of said elongated V-shaped filter bar.
 6. The elongated filter bar of claim 5 wherein said filter ports are formed by castellations extending along the edges of said filter bar defining the mouth of said V.
 7. An elongated filter bar as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar across the planar face of the retainer bracket includes a plurality of parallel spring fingers, each of which is designed to substantially span a complementary elongated cutout in a planar face of a retainer bracket.
 8. An elongated filter bar as recited in claim 5 wherein said means for releasably mounting said elongated filter bar across the planar face of a retainer bracket aids in the aligning of the body of said elongated filter bar with respect to the retainer bracket prior to said body of said filter bar coming into abutting contact with a planar face of the retainer bracket.
 9. An elongated filter bar for use in a wet pickup suction nozzle comprising: a. an elongated planar member; b. a plurality of adjacent tabs formed in one elongated edge of said planar member; c. a plurality of said adjacent tabs being bent out of the plane of said planar member in opposite directions so as to form in appearance a substantially V-shaped filter bar when said filter bar is looked at edgewise; and d. means for releasably mounting said filter bar across the inlet of a wet pickup suction nozzle with the open mouth of the V masking said nozzle inlet, so that spaces between alternate tabs act as filter ports.
 10. The elongated filter bar of claim 9 wherein said means for releasably mounting said filter bar across an inlet of a wet pickup nozzle comprises at least one of said tabs which lie substantially in the plane of said filter bar and which functions as a detent means. 